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Brutalism


Giulio Zanni

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Goce Delchev Student Dormitory, Skopje, Macedonia. One of the several photographs that will be featured in my upcoming book "Spomenici and Brutalism". Leica CL

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I'm fascinated by Brutalist architecture.

Interesting building, nice B&W.

However, there's a fair bit of distortion here to the point where the top of the building is leaning over it's base, perhaps overcorrected in post?

 

Regards,

Mark

Edited by MarkP
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I'm fascinated by Brutalist architecture.

Interesting building, nice B&W.

However, there's a fair bit of distortion here to the point where the top of the building is leaning over it's base, perhaps overcorrected in post?

 

Regards,

Mark

 

It's correct, levelled and shot with shift, it's just that brutalism, at least from the eastern block, did not care about proportions

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That makes a very valid point and shows how adjusted our visual perception is to more aesthetic proportions.

 

 

Indeed so; it's a very good example of how a ruthlessly accurately level image with a significant amount of shift, can sometimes appear to our senses to be a bit "overcorrected" (so to speak) even though it's geometrically totally accurate. I think it's something to do with the effectively "ultrawide" angle view in the direction of the shift, which appears a bit unnatural to our eyes because our own view of the world is not that wide.

 

I've sometimes deliberately allowed a bit of an upward tilt, with a consequent touch of converging verticals, for a slightly technically wrong, but visually more natural effect.

 

However, in this case, I find the ruthless accuracy actually very effective.

 

(Hope this makes sense - I'm finding it a bit difficult to explain!)

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However, there's a fair bit of distortion here to the point where the top of the building is leaning over it's base, perhaps overcorrected in post?

 

I am puzzled as well. Was the architecture built in the manner of Greek or Roman geometry, wider at the top to correct our vision of diminishing breadth? Blame or credit Vitruvius.

Edited by pico
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It's correct, levelled and shot with shift, it's just that brutalism, at least from the eastern block, did not care about proportions

 

I think your composition and "corrected" verticals give accent and drama to the buildings' heights and intricate assembly, and find the adjustments quite appropriate for an architectural photograph.  The choice of your location explains the building well with a single image which is difficult.  I believe G.Konstantinovski would be pleased with your rendition of his work.

 

 I do take issue though with your statement that brutalism was not concerned with proportions.  Brutalism as an international movement whether in the East or elsewhere was about FORM.  The making of these forms in concrete of contrasting light and shadow required adherence to strict disciplines regarding proportions and scale rather than a disregard for them.  

 

I have seen your very fine photos of spomenici and am looking forward to seeing your book with architectural photos. 

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I feel it is a characteristic of Tilt (& Shift) lenses. It reminds me from Architectural college days when we would draw the perspective with the vanishing point. This image seems to be following that principle ... so I think. Nice image & it does emphasize the Brutalism, protend yes!

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